Mykolaiv Prosecutor's Office Seeks Return of 360 Hectares for Education

The Mykolaiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office initiated a lawsuit to return the land that was transferred to the company. The land, which was intended for educational purposes, was illegally used for commercial agricultural production.

This was reported by the press service of the Mykolaiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.

Law enforcers are demanding the return of a state-owned land plot of more than 360 hectares that was illegally leased to a business entity.

The Mykolaiv Commercial Court opened proceedings on a claim filed by the Bashtanka District Prosecutor's Office to invalidate the joint venture agreement. The agreement was entered into by the Berezneguvata Vocational Lyceum and a local agricultural enterprise. The land in question was transferred to the lyceum in 2007 for scientific and educational activities.

However, as the Juvenile Prosecutor's Office found, the lyceum's management entered into an agreement with the enterprise, concealing its true purpose - land lease, which is illegal.

As a result, the land was used for commercial purposes, including agricultural production. After a prolonged violation of the land law, the state authorities did not go to court, which forced the prosecutor's office to file a lawsuit demanding the return of the land for educational purposes.

The prosecutor's office also demanded the confiscation of 15 hectares of land owned by Russian citizens in Mykolaiv region and brought the case to court. According to the investigation, the four Russians did not comply with the requirement of the Land Code of Ukraine to alienate the land, instead they leased the plots to Ukrainian agricultural enterprises, making a profit on the territory of Ukraine.

In addition, a criminal group that illegally privatized land plots with sewage treatment facilities and legalized the proceeds was recently exposed in Mykolaiv region. A land surveyor, knowing about the privatization procedure, deliberately facilitated the criminal scheme by registering a plot with treatment facilities in the name of a third party for further contracting. The participants face up to 12 years in prison.

Анна Бальчінос